It's back!

Hello all! Sorry once again for the delay but life is keeping me busy. Hopefully you find the chapter worth the wait.

It's another 10K monster so you might want to grab a snack.

Note this is an unedited chapter edited should hopefully be up soon.

Enjoy. And happy Day after Thanksgiving.

The Frozen and Pierced Heart

Chapter 67

Chancellor Byron walked slowly through the streets of Arendelle. Normally he enjoyed these walks through the city. He would stop and talk to shopkeepers, perhaps stroll down by the docks, and watch the children play while their parents went about their day.

The streets now seemed a depressing place. The people still went about their day, but there was a lack of joy on their faces. The children didn't wander the streets either. He would like to offer encouragement to the people during this trying time but that wasn't seeming possible.

Part of that reason was because the people could see their chancellor being escorted under enemy guard. A message that Arendelle was under new leadership.

Byron was needed to discuss operations with the current dock master. The puppet the duke had installed wanted to have plans for getting trade up and running again once the transition was complete. Byron was simply going to say that until a formal declaration of surrender was signed, he had no intention of proceeding with a transition. His captors knew this of course. They also knew that this could be done at the castle instead of parading him through the streets. But this, like most of their actions, was designed to intimidate.

His thoughts were interrupted as the loud crack of a shot rang out. At the same instant a guard on his right cried out for a split second as he jerked and crumpled to the ground. To his left there was the quiet zip of crossbow bolts as two of them struck a guard to his left causing him to stagger and drop.

Before he could process what was happening several cloaked figures sprang from out of houses or the alley with weapons drawn.

"Don't even think about it!"

They pointed their weapons directly at the two remaining guards who were reaching for their own weapons. As they glanced around at their situation though they decided against it.

The cloaked figures quickly grabbed them and Byron found himself being roughly grabbed as well and hauled down the alleyway.

The figures didn't say much as they hurried along staying in cover as they weaved down back streets and through buildings. While they didn't speak Byron did notice them using hand signals. Whoever they were they were very organized.

At some point the two guards they had taken were taken away from the group. After several more minutes of the twists and turns through the city the group opened some cellar doors and descended down the stairs. It took Byron's eyes a moment to adjust to the light but he noticed several others already in the room.

"Apologies for lack of warning chancellor but we were in a hurry."

It took until his eyes fully adjusted before Byron could see who was speaking.

"Major Weatherford. I am relieved to see you alive and free."

"Our guests have been trying to change that. But so far we have evaded capture and delt out some damage of our own."

The cellar door creaked open again and a few others walked in. Byron recognized one holding a rifle.

"Lieutenant Falkner. Excellent shot out there. Although it was a little too close for comfort."

Falkner gave a grin. "I've made tighter shots. Besides, you pay me not to miss."

He walked over to a beam and carved a notch in it.

"I thought you kept that tally on your belt?"

"Didn't have it when the castle was attacked. Have to add these when we retake it."

Byron took notice of the number of notches on the beam. "Looks like you have been busy."

Weatherford sighed. "Wish we could be doing more. We are heavily outnumbered and have supply problems. We are giving them problems, but we have yet to deal a real blow to their operation…until now. With you freed their leverage into trying to take the kingdom is damaged. We just need to keep you safe until we can drive them out."

"What about the queen or princess?"

Weatherford sat behind a makeshift desk and stared at a map for a moment. "We have heard nothing. We are hoping since the snow is still around that it means the queen is still alive. But that theory has never been proven. We know Captain Slovak got her out of the castle. And we know Lieutenant Warwick went to get the princess and prince to safety. We have no word though. Although it might be no news is good news. If either were killed or captured the enemy would probably be announcing that in the streets. Most of our information comes from some undercover people we have in the castle."

Byron cocked an eyebrow. "You have people still active in the castle? How?"

Weatherford smiled a little. "This is where it pays to have treated your servants with respect and kindness. The enemy overlooks them and uses them but they remain loyal to us. The stableboy Kyle overheard they were going to be moving you around so we used that information to our advantage."

"Clever." Byron nodded. "What about the council or nobility? They could be used as leverage"

"Most were in their homes when the attack happened. Most managed to be alerted and escaped. The few in the castle are assumed captive."

He paused for a moment. "Is it true about Colonel Davis?"

Byron nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so. I'm sorry. I'm not sure how he died but I saw the body myself. We also lost Councilman Purkim, Kai, the queens double and probably half the castle guard. Lord Wallace is also captive."

Weatherford sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Unfortunately mourning will have to wait. Best thing we can do for them right now is to make sure their deaths aren't in vain. Holding Lord Wallace probably won't do much for them except for keep his private enterprises out of their way."

He looked down at the map for a moment. "But since they can no longer use you as a hostage, we can proceed with plan to break their hold."

"What do you mean?"

"Councilman Malevich managed to escape. With how popular he is as an elected official we can use him as a rallying force. We might even use his bakery as a rally site."

A look of concern etched its way on Byron's face. "Won't they just send their forces to put down the revolt?"

Weatherford smiled a little. "That's the hope. The bakery actually is in a good ambush position. When they move into the area we can strike from the surrounding buildings and wipe out the attacking force. Such a large loss to their forces will be unsustainable for the long term. The battle of attrition will swing in our favor."

He stood and motioned to some of his men. "We will try to find a comfortable spot to hide you. Hopefully this will all be over soon."

"Come on Elsa, you can't seriously think it's a good idea to come with me."

Erik had been arguing with her all morning. Now that a message was getting out it was nearing time to secure a spot where the Arendelle troops could come ashore. He had planned on leading this effort himself while Elsa stayed back in the city away from any possible combat. Not surprisingly she disagreed with the decision.

She crossed her arms giving him an icy stare. "Not only do I think its good idea I can promise you it's exactly what's going to happen."

Erik threw up his arms exasperated. "Why are you trying to make my job more difficult? I'll have to focus on protecting you and the mission."

"Who says you need to protect me? I am capable of handling myself."

Erik snorted "Well great, wish you would have told me that before I jumped in front of a bullet."

Both of them inwardly cringed knowing they had crossed a line. Elsa knew that he had put his life on the line many times for her and she wouldn't be here without him. For Erik's part he knew Elsa still felt guilt about what happened to him. The last thing she needed was he himself bringing it up.

Elsa turned away from him and stared out the window at the cloudy sky.

From behind her Erik spoke softly. "I'm sorry that was out of line"

Elsa felt her eyes brimming with tears.

"No, it wasn't" She whispered. "It was something I needed to hear."

"It wasn't your fault what happened."

"Wasn't it? My father's guards never had to deal with what mine have. The castle and city didn't burn under his rule." She spat out sharply.

Elsa felt her fists clench as she voiced her frustrations. The nightmares that had been plaguing her about seeing her people massacred and captive. She feared they would come true and she wasn't going to stand by and let them.

"And don't say its not my fault" she said before Erik could say anything. "We both know that's not true. Before my powers came to light everything was peaceful."

She turned to face him. "That's why I have to do this. It's my duty to protect the people. And if that means taking to the battlefield then so be it."

"This is perfect." Hans said gleefully rubbing his hands together. "They have made a blunder and we have them where we want them."

"Agreed." The duke said eagerly. "Once the resistance leadership and their supporters all gather in and around that bakery, we can crush them."

"And once we finish with that, we burn the place to the ground as a reminder of what happens when you oppose us. That should stomp out any further resistance to us." Hans added.

He turned to Lord Wallace who was standing silent in contemplation. "I know it's an Arendelle landmark and you want to avoid unnecessary damage but this is an opportunity we can't afford to pass up."

"I agree." Wallace said. "It's not what I hoped for but the queen has forced our hand. So we must sacrifice a small cultural landmark to preserve our place in the world." He turned his attention to Tyros. "How soon can you prepare an attack plan?"

Tyros' attention was on a painting in the room that displayed one of Arendelle's past military victories. "It won't matter how long the planning takes. Attacking the bakery will lead to our defeat."

Hans glared at him. "Excuse me? I thought you were a tactical mastermind. Is a building holding an armed mob to much for your abilities?"

Tyros ignored him never taking his eyes off the painting. "Lord Wallace. Can you tell me what battle this painting represents?"

"The battle of the Stormy Canyons. Why do you ask?"

"Can't you fulfill your curiosity after your work is done here?" The duke asked annoyed.

Tyros ignored him as well and he continued to speak to Wallace. "If memory serves Arendelle forces were outnumbered nearly six to one by the invaders. Do you remember how Arendelle drove the invaders back in such short order?

"The canyons are a rocky labyrinth. The enemy knew the Arendelle forces were inside. What they didn't know was their exact position or the layout of the canyons. Their forces kept getting divided and lost as our soldiers cut them apart. The enemy walked right into our…" He trailed off as he realized where Tyros was going.

"Trap." Tyros finished for him.

He finally walked over to the map on the table. The bakery has taller buildings and flats around most of it. The Arendelle resistance could take position in them while our troops walk into the opening and get annihilated."

"Well then why not simply take control of those buildings?" Hans growled.

"Fighting close quarters floor to floor room to room?" Tyros asked slightly amused. "The causality rate would only be slightly negated from just a direct assault and in the time it would take, much of the resistance leadership could escape."

"Well then figure something out!" Hans replied angrily. "For what I am giving you for this, I expected more."

"I have a plan in place." Tyros relied calmly. "To put it simply. We bombard the surrounding area to collapse the buildings. We can also bombard the bakery itself. The downside is civilian casualties will be incredibly high. The resulting fires could burn half the city."

"I'm sure we can reduce that. Besides you didn't seem to have a problem with the initial bombardment of the city." Hans pointed out.

"Those where precise strikes. Well as precise as can be with naval guns. The resulting damage looked worse than it actually was." He paused looking out the window for a moment. "Even if we did destroy the area the effect still probably wouldn't be in our favor. The people would be enraged and completely rebel."

Before anyone could reply he went on. "Arendelle has a similar history to my Northern Isles. Unlike The Southern Isles or Wesselton we had to carve a living out of ice and rock. And once we did, we had to defend it from larger kingdoms who thought they could just take what we had built. The northern people are proud an stubborn. We have to either replace Elsa as we originally planned or we have to strike a blow so hard it shatters the peoples will."

He smiled slyly. "Fortunately, I have a plan for both."

The journey had been long and dangerous. But Kara hadn't let it dampen her spirits. As she had hoped the glacier had melted enough before Elsa had refrozen everything to allow her to pass underneath. As she got closer to the fort, she found her progress being slowed by enemy patrols and scouts. She didn't let it deter her though. This was her territory. She could evade any outlander here. In some strange way she found this exhilarating.

As she rode through the night, she saw the outline of the fort in the distance in the moonlight. She dismounted and carefully and quietly made her way up a tree. Through her field glasses she could make out enemy formations around the fort in a type of mini siege. She guessed they didn't have the numbers to pull off a full siege so they settled for blocking the fort from reinforcement or from the occupants escaping.

She frowned as she thought to herself. The moonlight was making spotting easier for her. But that went both ways. It would make her more visible as well. She would have to stay deeper in the tree line as she poked around for a way in.

She knew most of these forts had hidden passages inside. She hoped the enemy hadn't found all of them. Even if they hadn't, she had to be careful not to be shot by her own people while searching in the dark.

Her horse wove through the trees carefully. She kept her eyes and ears open for any sounds or movement. Stopping every now and then when she thought there might be something of interest.

After several hours of searching her perseverance finally paid off. She spotted a grove of bushes nearby rock formation that made perfect cover. She knew there would be several guards in place if this was an entry. The question was which side would they be on?

She decided it was now or never she took a deep breath and gripped her pistol tightly as she steered her horse in that direction. When she felt she was close enough she let out a few whistles.

"Halt!" A harsh whisper came from her right as an Arendelle soldier stepped from behind a tree pointing a crossbow at her. "Identify yourself."

"Lieutenant Kara Volseg." She replied raising one hand but keeping her other on her pistol. "I'm looking to get in the fort."

"I'm sure you are. Thing is so is the enemy. And they have been using their own people dressed in our uniforms to try to get in. So, we are going to have to try to verify who you are."

"I figured as much. Lead the way."

Kara was led to the spot she had guessed where the hidden entry was. She was surprised that both she and her horse could get through. She also noticed the tunnel was rigged to collapse in several spots in case of enemy breach. She hated the thought of being down here if that happened.

After awhile she and her escort emerged inside the fort. She saw enough uniforms that she felt comfortable that this wasn't a trap on the enemy's part to gain information.

"I have a message from the queen herself." She pulled the papers she had from her satchel which showed the queens signature and seal.

"The queen's alive?" One of the soldier's eyes widened. "We need to wake the princess!"

The man bolted away and soon returned with both Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff running behind. They had clearly been roused from their sleep but at the same time wide awake from the news. Before Kara could say a word Anna nearly shouted. "You have word from my sister?"

"Yes, your highness." Kara bowed and proceeded to hand her the letter from Elsa.

"How is she? Where is she?" Anna asked quickly as she took them.

"She's at Jaketa." Kara answered calmly despite Anna's rushed talking. "She was severely wounded trying to get to the city. But she's making a good recovery."

Anna's eyes widened at the mention of Elsa being wounded but relaxed a little when told she was recovering well.

This time Kristoff spoke up. "What about Erik? I mean Captain Slovak, her guard?"

"Captain Slovak is fine. From my understanding he carried the queen to safety after she was wounded."

Both Anna, Kristoff, and a man in a lieutenant's uniform seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Anna opened the envelope and looked over the papers handing a letter to the lieutenant's uniform. "Looks like Erik sent something to you Lieutenant Warwick."

They both started reading their letters. After a moment Anna looked up. "So, my understanding is the city is under enemy control which included Hans, the Duke of Wesselton, and General Tyros. My sister is trapped at Jaketa and recovering from injury. And effectively Erik holds the signet making him in charge of that area of the kingdom?"

Kara nodded. "The queen will take control back when she is feeling more up to it. They did have a plan to get a message out to get the fleet turned around. I left before it was enacted though."

Warwick spoke up. "So now we need to establish a line of communication between the two main known bases of resistance."

"I know some routes over the mountain passes. If we can get riders to operate back and forth that should work nicely. I'll need someone to go back with me."

"Yes of course." Anna nodded. "We will find a volunteer. But for now, that can wait you need to rest after your journey."

She looked up at Kara her eyes brimming with tears and without warning threw her arms around her. "Thank you so much. I have been so worried about my sister."

Kara wasn't sure what to say. It was the second time in a matter of days she was unexpectantly hugged by a royal.

Anna pulled away and wiped her eyes. "My apologies. It's been a long few weeks."

She straightened up. "But with my sister alive there is nothing that will stop us from liberating our kingdom."

"Stop laughing!"

Elsa glared at Erik who was doubled over in laughter at the predicament she was in. Failing to convince her to sit out of the upcoming fights he thought about ways to protect her. One thought was for her to make armor for herself.

She made some outfits made of an ice chainmail. To test them she conjured them onto targets with Erik tested with crossbow and pistol. Unfortunately, the chainmail style didn't hold up. Elsa then decided to make the plate armor like some of the suits in the castle. However, since ice wasn't as strong as steel, she had to make the armor thicker then normal. When she finally made something thick enough to withstand a gunshot it was rather bulky. When she made the armor for her body, she found out just how bulky.

She instantly sagged under the weight. Even if she wasn't recovering from her wound it was too much for her. While struggling against the sheer size of the outfit while making the arms she had frozen herself to the ground.

She sighed and managed to dissolve the armor so she could move again. "Alright, what's plan B?"

After running over a few more ideas, they decided that perhaps a disguise would work.

After some searching, they found an army uniform in her size. She put it on and stepped out of her room.

"So, what do you think?"

Erik stared stunned for a moment. His mind taking him to the world of what if. He was so used to seeing Elsa in regal and formal attire that seeing her in something more normal gave him a glimpse to what life might have been like if she wasn't queen.

He shook his head. "Yea that might work. Well as best as it can. At least no one can pick you out as queen.

"Good." She took her hat off and shook out her hair. "I had another idea. But I need you to do it. And it could be dangerous."

She tried to smile but her eyes looked sad. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was necessary."

Erik gave her a reassuring grin. "Missions already accepted. And don't worry about the danger. At this point in my job, it's pretty much implied."

Two Arendelle scouts rode up towards the summit of a cliff overlooking the fiord. Riders were out all over outside Jaketa scouting for enemy advance.

The young blonde woman turned to her partner. "So, what do you think Paul? After we check out the view point should we do a straight shot down the coast or turn towards the needles before making out way back?"

The two had been out for two days and would be out for another day or two before returning to the city to Jaketa to rest and resupply. So far it had mostly been dodging enemy patrols and keeping an eye out for the possibility of a large attack force.

The enemy patrols weren't much of a problem either. The Arendelle scouts had the advantage of knowing the countryside better. Also, the enemy patrols were there to observe and report movements and make sure the queen didn't try to escape or Arendelle sent their own force to liberate the capitol. There had been a scrimmage that had broken out here and there but the patrols didn't feel like dying fighting each other.

"Well, if the fiord is clear we should probably head for the needles and make the loop." Paul answered as their horses climbed higher up the trail.

"Hopefully that ship reaches the fleet soon. I'm looking forward to getting some payback and going home."

They reached the top and Paul went to get his field glasses when Emma gasped. He looked up and saw what had startled her.

"That's not good."

"We need to get back and let them know!" Emma said grabbing her reigns.

"I'm right behind y AAAAGGHHHH"

Emma turned to see Paul spin in the saddle. Two crossbow bolts sticking out of him.

"Paul!" she screamed and turned back to him as he slipped from the saddle and fell to the ground.

He weakly put up a hand as he struggled to get back up. "Leave me. Just go. Warn the city" he said through gritted teeth.

Emma hated to leave him there but he was right. The city had to be warned.

She whirled back around and spurred her horse as a shot rang out and a bullet zinged off a tree and two more arrows buried themselves in the trees around her. She dared not look back at her partner she was leaving behind as she raced on the long an dangerous journey to Jaketa hoping she could warn them in time.

Erik rode slowly into the troll's home territory. So far, the journey had been fairly easy. Just dodging some patrols here and there. It was no time to get careless though. Just because the enemy didn't know about the trolls didn't mean they couldn't stumble into the area.

He dismounted from his horse and scanned the valley of living rock until he was sure it was safe to call out.

"Grand Pabbie! It's Captain Slovak. I am here on behalf of Queen Elsa."

One of the rocks moved and rolled forward until it popped open revealing the troll's true nature.

"It is good to see you again young man." The troll said softly as Erik knelt down. "What can I do for my dear friend Queen Elsa?"

"Long story short. We have been invaded. The queen wants to know if there is anything you can do to help."

Pabbie shook his head sadly. "We cannot. We cannot interfere in the affairs of humans."

"What about the visions you have?" Erik asked. "Perhaps you can give us some insight on how to proceed?"

Pabbie shook his head again. "War makes the future incredibly difficult to see. So much is always changing the outcome is always in question.

Pabbie waved his hands as chaotic visions floated into the air. Everchanging as Erik watched the smokey scenes do their dance.

"There is something you should know" Pabbie interrupted breaking Erik's thoughts as the visions vanished. "A man named Tyros found us. He was seeking information on Elsa."

Erik inhaled sharply. If Tyros knew bout the trolls what else did he know?"

"What did he want to know?"

"He wanted to know more about what her strength was, what she is truly capable of."

Erik snorted. "If he wants to test that he's going to be in for a rude awakening."

Pabbie shook his head. "Her true potential is yet unknown. Should she lose control of it the consequences could be disastrous. She will need you more then ever. Her friends and family have always supported her helping her keep control."

Erik nodded. "And she will continue to have our support. We need her now more then ever. I know not having full control of her abilities is a massive burden to her. But she is getting better all the time. I have complete faith in her that she will master them in time."

Erik thought for a moment. He felt silly asking at a time like this but he had to know. "I will always be by her side as long as she needs me. But I must admit. I love her. I know you said true love thawing my heart would kill me because the ice is holding it together. But I don't know how much longer I can keep this to myself. Please. There has to be something you can do."

"I'm sorry but there is not" Pabbie told him taking hold of his hands gently.

"So, there's no hope then" Erik said in a defeated voice. His heart sinking.

"I said there is nothing I can do, but that doesn't mean there is no hope. There may be another way. Don't give up.

Erik nodded and stood. Pabbie motioned for him to wait as he left and returned briefly with what looked like a rock wrapped in leaves. "Give this to Elsa. Tell her she will understand when the time comes."

After a few hours sleep Kara was reprovisioned and ready to take the winding route back to Jaketa. This time she wouldn't be riding back alone though.

A young royal guard named David had volunteered to join her. He was around her age maybe a year or two younger. But there was a hardness in his eyes. She wasn't sure what it was from until she asked why he was volunteering for this assignment.

He shrugged when he replied. "Payback mostly. My brother was killed getting the princess to safety. So, I figure I would do anything I can to drive these bastards into the sea for him. Also having gone through the pain of losing a sibling I want to make sure Princess Anna doesn't have to go through the same. She and the Queen have always been very good to us. And I think we will be in better shape once they are reunited."

That was good enough for Kara. She had lost friends during this invasion so she understood about wanting to get revenge. She was also admiring the royal sisters more and more. She had always appreciated what they seem to be like from a distance but after meeting both of them in person and seeing how much those who worked close to them respected them, she was glad to see they were truly genuine.

"Alright corporal. Let's start getting our homeland reconnected."

Elsa strolled slowly taking in the sunshine and cool morning air. It felt good to stretch her legs without the cane. She was still a little weak but she had to keep building her strength. She hoped that soon she could lift the winter she had kept in place to make the enemies life difficult and things would return to normal. Or as normal as they could be after such an event had taken place.

The response Erik had brought from Pabbie was disappointing but not unexpected. She doubted there was much the trolls could do. But she had to try. Although the cryptic message Pabbie had written her made no sense. But apparently when the time came it would. She would just have to be patient.

Despite that small setback she was feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time. The ship that had gotten through should reach the fleet soon. Kara should be returning with word about Anna as early as today. Of course, there was a possibility that there was bad news on that front. But she refused to let herself dwell on that. Anna and Kristoff had been in tough spots before. They were more then capable.

Erik had been drilling both soldier and volunteer. Many of the cities able bodied and volunteered to pick up a weapon and join the campaign they were about to launch that would free Arendelle. While Elsa was nervous about going into battle again, she wanted to get it done with.

While she had been confident in Erik's abilities when she had given him the signet, she had to admit he had surprised even her. He took charge well. Was confident and respectful which earned him respect. He knew how to delegate. Well mostly. At times she had to remind him he was taking on too much himself. He knew when to seek advice from others in areas where he lacked experience or knowledge. He had all the makings of a great leader even beyond the battlefield. With some practice and polish perhaps, he would make a good…

A commotion from the city gate interrupted her thoughts. She quickened her pace to see what was going on.

"Open the gates!"

She heard the order to open as she rounded the corner just in time to see who was coming through. She hoped it was Kara although she expected her to come through one of the back ways same as she left. What she saw made her stop in her tracks.

A young blonde woman in a scout uniform sat slumped over on a horse. An arrow having pierced her through from her back to chest.

Elsa found her feet again and ran to the gate as the guards caught the woman as she slid and fell from her saddle. As Elsa knelt beside her Erik came running in as well.

The scout's eyes darted around as if trying to focus. Else gently took her hand an stroked her matted hair. "It's ok, you're safe now. We are getting you help" She tried to reassure her.

The scout's eyes focused on ELsa. "Your Majesty! They're coming. You have to run."

"Who' coming?" Erik asked.

"Albatross point. General Tyros' flag ship. A whole fleet." The scout managed to spit out between gasps of air.

Erik's eyes widened in horror. "When? Can you remember when you saw them soldier?"

Her eyes began to lose focus. "They killed Paul. So many ships. They are…"

She stopped speaking mid-sentence and just stared her eyes unseeing back into Elsa's. Elsa was vaguely aware of Erik jumping back to his feet and barking orders very fast. The realization of having someone die in her arms hitting her though as the world around became a blur. It took a few moments of realization before she recognized a lieutenant assigned to her as a guard was trying to get her attention. She shook her head bringing herself to back to the present.

"Yes, Lieutenant Lyss, what is it?"

"Majesty. The captain ordered me to have you ready to evacuate."

Erik hated leaving Elsa there like that. A woman died while she was holding her hand. It was going to be a jarring experience for her. He would have to talk to her later about it. Unfortunately, right now he needed every second he could spare to make sure she and everyone in the city had a later. The scout had given her life to give them warning. And Erik was determined to make sure it counted for something.

He sent an aide to get a map and figure out possible time it would take for a fleet to reach them from albatross point. He ran it in his head while he sent others to gather everyone together. He had no way of knowing how long it took the scout to reach the city though. Enemy patrols could have made it much longer of a trip if she had to go around them or hide. He figured he had at best till the end of the day. Hell, they might have minutes before lookout tower rang a warning.

He quickly made his way to the town square where he instructed the military and civilian leaders to meet him. He still had yet to come up with a plan and it boiled down to two options.

Fight or flight.

He was leaning towards flight. If the scout was right, they would be heavily outnumbered and outgunned. And with Tyros personally in command it was not a fight anyone would want to be on the other side of.

He almost had to smile at the irony. After the massacre at Fernada he and the other survivors still found themselves surrounded and cut off. Most had thought they had won that small yet incredibly costly victory only to be overwhelmed and annihilated by enemy reinforcements. However, Tyros and lead the new attack rescuing the survivors and then winning the campaign so decisive that the Dronmier Empire withdrew. Ending what would have possibly been the start of the great war. Now Tyros was on his way again. Only this time possibly bringing doom instead of hope.

Erik found most of those in a leadership roll at the square when he arrived. He began to talk very fast.

"Here's the situation. We have limited information but we have reason to believe there is a massive enemy fleet under the command of General Tyros on its way up the fjord. They will probably be here by the end of the day. Frankly the warning bell could sound at any moment. We likely can't hold for long against such an assault so here is what we're are going to do. We will evacuate the civilian population first. Governor, I'll need you to coordinate logistics as best you can should we have to hide out in the mountains or make our way to another location. Part of out forces will scout up ahead making sure he way is clear for the people. I know having out troops do such a fast scout ahead is dangerous especially if they are waiting outside the city for us but we don't have much choice. The rest of the soldiers will defend the civilians from the invasion force. Once the evacuation is complete the retreat will be ordered. Unless you hear otherwise, we will use the routes we had planned for this event. This is the moment we have all been fearing. But we have been preparing for it. Move quickly and God willing we will see each other soon at another safe haven."

He dismissed them and turned to see Elsa standing there.

"Very well done. You stayed calm and I think managed to ease their fears some."

Erik ignored the compliment. "You're supposed to be getting ready to evacuate."

Elsa folded her arms. "And I suppose you're planning on leading the defense till the bitter end?"

"It won't be that bad" he hoped he wasn't lying through his teeth. "I have no intention of entertaining our guests any longer than necessary."

His expression softened. "How are you doing?"

Elsa bit her lip. "Seeing that woman die like that was…awful."

"I know. But her sacrifice gave us a chance. Best thing we can do now is make sure her life saves many others."

Elsa nodded stiffly.

"I know it looks bad." He reassured her. "But everything will be alright."

From the lookout tower the bell started to ring.

"Or not."

He snapped back into command mode. "I have to coordinate defense of the city. You need to get going. Your escorts will know where you're going. Be careful and I'll see you somewhere up in the mountains."

With that he turned and run for the harbor. They had an hour at most before the fleet would be in position to attack.

He hoped that rushed goodbye wasn't the last thing he would say to Elsa.

The city went into a panic. The people gathered their families and what they could carry and made their way to the gates waiting for word from the troops scouting ahead that the way was clear. Elsa made her way through the crowds. Her temporary guards urging her to get to the gates herself. She couldn't though. All along the way she stopped and helped where she could. Telling people where to go. Offering words of comfort. Helping gather children or supplies.

The evacuation had barely begun though when the first of the ships made their way into view. Causing a great cry of alarm to sound through the city and causing even more panic. The soldiers had just barely begun their sweep of the surrounding countryside though. They didn't want to send the people into the waiting arms of the enemy.

Elsa found herself back at the town square watching a sea of people come up the hill and past here as they ran for the gates. She looked out toward the water and saw the enemy fleet positioning itself. From beside her she heard one of her guards murmur. "Oh no."

She turned towards him "What is it?"

"That's not an invasion formation. That a bombardment formation. Looks like they plan on forgoing the trouble of trying to capture the city and will just settle for flattening it."

Elsa felt a sick feeling rise in her stomach. She had seen what a bombardment could do during the initial attack. But there it had been more targeted at defenses and the castle itself. And still the collateral damage to the people was horrifying. This was just going to target everything and everyone. She watched the people run past her in fear. Families who soon would face a rain of death.

"Your majesty we have to go now, quickly" The guard urged her.

"How long do we have?"

"Minutes!" The guard replied fear rising in his voice. We need to run, hopefully find a horse to get you on.

Elsa wasn't about to leave her people to die while she ran. Not this time. She took a moment to gather herself and focus her power.

"Your majest…"

"I'm not going anywhere." Elsa said harshly as she lifted her arms and stomped her foot sending waves of magic out into the air and along the ground. They shot out and converged in the water creating a line that stretched in front of the city before a wall of ice started to rise, towering higher as it curved back forming a partial dome over the city.

All over the city the sounds of panic turned to those of awe as the people stopped to watch the marvel rise from the water and form a barrier between them and the danger they faced.

Around the square people cheered and thanked Elsa. She just smiled trying not to let it show how much that had taken out of her. It was more work than she expected.

She turned back to her guard "If you could find Captain Slovak, please. It might be time to rethink the plan"

General Tyros stood on the deck of his flagship and watched as the incomplete dome of ice went up.

"interesting" he said matter-of-factly

"What are your orders sir?" His aide asked as they both examined the wall.

"Well, we didn't come all this way just to turn around did we Major?" Tyros smiled slyly.

"Not at all sir."

"We presented Queen Elsa with a threat and she responded with a challenge. Let's test her resolve. Commence the assault."

Elsa and everyone around her jumped as the roar of cannons rang from the harbor. The shells slamming into her icy barrier. She let out a sigh of relief it had held.

She raised her voice so she could be heard above the clamor. "Evacuation might not be necessary now. We might have to come up with a new plan while General Tyros sits out there in the harbor."

She stopped talking. Something felt wrong. She couldn't tell what though. Then it dawned on her. She could feel the ice in her barrier starting to crack under the bombardment. She focused her power again and sent a new wave to repair the damage. But that only lasted so long before the breaks started appearing again.

She gritted her teeth. "Very well General. If that's how you want it. I got nothing better to do today."

She planted her feet and let out a constant stream of magic repairing the damage to the weakening part of the barrier as she sensed them.

"On second though Lieutenant. Evacuation may be the order of the day. Find Captain Slovak and tell him to get his men out of there. I'll hold the barrier till everyone's out."

Erik ordered the soldiers to dig in and take cover as soon as he recognized the bombardment formation. Then the barrier went up. He was about to send someone to find Elsa when one of the guards assigned to her found him and gave him her instructions. He gave the orders to retreat and escort the civilians out of the city and then run up the hill to the square where he found Elsa. An intense look of concentration on her face as her hands glowed with her powers.

"Elsa what's going on?"

"The barrier is taking damage. I have to contently repair it or he will break through."

"You realize for this to work you'll have to be the last one out?"

"You were going to do the same. It should hold long enough for me to run once everyone is out. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't have time to argue. This is a lot harder than it looks."

Erik ordered the other guards to bring two horses. If she was determined to stay, he was determined to get her out as fast as possible when the time came.

People by the droves thanked Elsa as they passed her as they made their way to the gates. At first, she smiled reassuringly at them. But the longer this dragged on the more and more of her concentration it took. Soon she barely noticed. All she saw was a blur of people rushing past. Their voices muffled as the feeling of the ice cracking and threatening to break became more overwhelming. She was sure that somehow the impact of the cannonballs was traveling back through her magic to her body. She was feeling literal pain. Still, she held. The very lives of her people were depending on her.

"Looks like it's wearing her out" Tyros' aide commented watching Elsa through his field glasses.

"Indeed. It seems to be taking quite the toll on her" Tyros replied watching through his own glasses.

He lowered them and thought for a moment. "Let's see what she's really made of. Increase intensity."

Elsa wasn't sure how but it seemed Tyros was hitting the barrier even harder. Her muscles strained with the effort of pushing magic to constantly strengthen her shield. The outside world fading away as it was just her. The shield. And the cannons.

She was sure she felt every impact against her shield now. Almost as if her and the ice were becoming one. The sensations seemed to batter her own body. One of her knees nearly buckled as she struggled to stay standing. The effort making it harder to breathe. Every fiber in her body wanted to stop. But she couldn't. She had to save her people.

Thankfully the crowds were starting to thin. But there was still many that need to get to safety. Erik was becoming seriously worried about Elsa though. Her back leg buckled and she nearly sank to one knee. Her breathing was heavy and it sounded like she was groaning in pain. He wasn't the only one who noticed. Citizens who were still fleeing stopped to ask if the queen was alright. Erik moved them along trying not to show is concern. It only grew when he saw a trickle of blood run from Elsa's nose.

He went to put his hand gently on her shoulder to reassure her and let her know he was there. But as soon as he touched her, he yelped and wrenched his hand back and cold pain shot from it. The cold seemed to be radiating from her body in this state. He had to accept there was nothing he could do now. She was on her own.

Elsa's word had become nothing but ice and snow and those damn cannons. She felt and crush of thousands of footsteps as her people ran into the hills. She felt the impact of every cannon shot against her shield sending the sensation back into her body like she herself was being bombarded. And strangely enough she felt what felt like a heartbeat in the ice.

The pain was overwhelming now. It took everything she had just to keep the barrier together. She collapsed to her knees and screamed. Making an effort to keep her arms raised.

Then somewhere in the back of her mind an idea. Part of the struggle was keeping her power under control. She could just release it all in a massive wave. Destroy Tyros' fleet and leave her alone in sweet, silent, cold peace. The energy would wipe out everything around her. Leaving her alone and relived in frozen isolation.

But that would kill everyone within miles around her. And who knew how far it would spread. She couldn't give into that. She had to keep fighting.

She cried out in anguish again. Feeling nothing but fatigue, pain, and determination. She had a vague sense of blood running down her hands and face from the strain. She forced herself to keep pushing out power to hold the barrier. But very soon either she would collapse or unintendedly release her raw untapped energy. She focused her senses to the footsteps and felt that nearly everyone was out. She just had to hold a little longer. But was that going to be too much?

Tyros watched with intense interest as Elsa sank to her knees an appeared to scream. Her body tensing as she fought to hold her barrier intact.

Fascinating. Her powers seemed to have a connection to her physical being. It must be taking an enormous amount of will to hold the shield up.

He turned towards his aide. "Cease fire."

He smiled as the cannons started to fall silent across his fleet. "Well done Queen Elsa. Very well done indeed."

Elsa couldn't do it anymore. The last of her power she could manage left her fingertips and she collapsed to the ground. Luckily Erik caught her before her head snacked the pavement.

"Is everyone out?" she gasped quietly. Every word an effort.

"You did it" Eric smiled down softly at her gently wiping the blood from her face. "Just you and I left in the city."

Elsa felt relived. She also felt like her body was failing her. Her vision seemed to be fading. Her breath harder to catch. Her thoughts harder to collect.

"Can you stand? They stopped firing for now but I don't want to take the chance of them spotting us and using what few shots they have."

Elsa tried to move but nothing cooperated. More and more things seemed to be fading. Holding that barrier up had taking everything she had. Everything. And now she had nothing left. Yet somehow, she was at strange peace with it.

"I can't" she said softly. "That was too much for me. I'm done."

Erik shook his head. "Not till we get out of here then you can rest, I promise."

Elsa took a deep a breath as she could. "You don't understand. I'm not going to make it. My body gave everything it had."

"Don't talk like that!" Erik told her. "You just need to recover. Your just exhausted that's all."

"Elsa weakly shook her head. "Please listen. It's getting hard to focus. You have to leave me and go. Find Anna and take the kingdom back. I did what I could but its up to you now. Please I need you to do this for me."

Erik blinked back tears as Elsa gasped out every word. "No. I can't just leave you. I need you…I…I love you."

Elsa looked about as surprised as she could in her state. "You love me?"

"Yes! So don't ask me to leave you. Because I can't"

Elsa lay silent for a moment her eyes darting, her breathing shallow.

"Do you hear that?

"Hear what?" Erik asked confused

"A call. It sounds like someone calling…."

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going unfocused, her breathing suddenly stopping.

"Elsa?"

She didn't answer and Erik tried again panic rising in his voice. "Elsa!"

Still nothing.

"No, no don't do this. Stay with me" Tears stung Erik's eyes as she gently shook Elsa as if trying to wake her. Fear and pain rising and the reality hit him.

She was gone.

"Elsa please come back." He begged. "We need you. I need you. You can't go."

Tears fell as crushing pain took over his disbelief. He had lost her. A cold sensation brushed his face as some of the snow around him slowly flurried away. Somewhere in the back of his mind it dawned on him that without her the ice holding his heart together would melt and he was as good as dead too. But he didn't care. If Elsa was gone, he may as well join her.

Part of him knew he should use whatever time he had left to fulfill her last request and carry on for as long as he could. But he couldn't. He just wanted to stay with her.

Elsa found herself walking down the streets of Arendelle. The city seemed eerily silent. Also, there was a strange darkness to the sun. Almost as if was sunset. Get the lights here harsher but dimmed at the same time creating a strange lighting that seemed to dance and swirl in dark reds, purples, and oranges on the surfaces. She had to recollection of how she got there. Or even what had happened to her the past few…well she wasn't sure.

She stopped and watched a streetlamp flicker. The flame twitching in a peculiar sort of way. It seemed odd but, in a way, she could understand it. As if there was a language there.

"No to be honest I'm not sure what I'm doing here."

The flame flickered its strange dance some more.

"You called me here? But why?"

Behind her the gurgling in the fountain changed its tone slightly.

"Meant for greater things? I'm already queen."

The wind swished around the corner and through the trees.

"It's actually quite the responsibility. Many people depend on me."

This time several rocks rolled and clattered along the pavement.

"No, I don't understand. You'll have to explain more clearly,"

This time lightning cracked across the shy, but in a slow-motion arc as it etched its trail through the sky.

"Well yes of course I have pondered my destiny when it comes to my powers."

A tree creaked and groaned as it branches swayed softly.

Her voice got more excited. "Yes, if you could give me answers I would greatly appreciate it.'

The lightning again arced slowly across the sky.

"Yes! Take me there…wait…I feel like I am forgetting something."

Elsa thought hard for a moment. She felt something important nagging at her. Then it dawn on her.

She had to free Arendelle.

"I can't go now. I have a responsibility to my kingdom."

The water gurgles again.

"Well, it may be a trivial matter to you but I assure you it is the most important thing to me."

The flame flickered once more.

"It would be a hard sell to my people that one day they will understand the trivial nature of such things. They are the ones dying after all."

The tree groaned louder this time.

"Well, their lives are very important to me. Perhaps you're the ones that need to understand."

The wind spun its dance on the pavement.

"Well then I'll take the difficult path one day. But right now, my responsibility is to my people.

This time it seemed like all the entities tried to say the same thing.

"Well then it is my mistake to make. Perhaps in the future we can discuss this again. Hopefully then you can understand."

The lighting gave a massive crack and the world around Elsa seemed to break. She felt as if she was swimming through the colored fog. Racing for the surface until she emerged back into reality.

The sights and sounds of the world slowly came back into Elsa's focus. An odd sensation crept over her when she realized she didn't need to open her eyes. She had experienced the entire…what in the world was it even? A dream? A vision? Whatever it was she had experienced it with her eyes open yet not seeing the actual world around her.

She realized the hypersensitivity to her powers was still there. She could still feel her barrier as it slowly came apart. No longer under attack but so damaged it was breaking on its own. She could feel the crunch of boots on snow in the distance. And there was that heartbeat like rhythm she couldn't place.

Without the viciousness of the attack the realization of her powers was calming. The cooling swirl of the wind. The gentle touch of the snow. All of it helping to relax her after the ordeal. She wasn't sure how but the strain of the attack had somehow opener her abilities to new possibilities. Almost how an athlete achieved their skills through exercise and practice.

Her regular senses were returning more. She could tell she was lying on the street still. She found it odd. The dream she had seemed to last long enough that she thought she would wake elsewhere.

She then felt the sensation of a hand holding hers. It was warm and strong and comforting.

She then felt a warm small splash on her cheek. Followed by another. It wasn't rain. It was too warm. She focused hard to unblur her vision and Erik's face became clear. Elsa had never seen him look so miserable. He looked sad and in pain.

"You're crying" Elsa said softly.

Erik's face ran from sorrow to shock to joy in a second.

"Elsa!" He exclaimed.

Before Elsa knew what was happening, he lifted her into a sitting position and embraced her tightly. She wasn't sure what surprised her more. The fact that he held her so tight. Or the fact that he was trembling as he did so.

"You're alive" he said in a shaky barely controlled voice.

"Of course, I am" She responded feeling confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were dead. Or at least you seemed to be" His voice trembled. "I thought for sure I lost you."

Elsa frowned. What exactly had happened to her? She remembered collapsing as her powers ran out but then what? She felt like she was missing time.

Her memories started drifting back as she thought. She remembered the feeling like her body had given out on her. Telling Erik to leave her and carry on for her.

Then it hit her. Those three words she was least expecting.

I love you.

Did he really mean it? Or was it simply a deathbed comfort? However here he was holding her and in tears. She had never seen him in such a state.

And what if he did mean it? Did she feel the same? She had almost kissed him weeks before. But maybe that was just a moment of loneliness an passion.

Yet at the same time she had come to no only enjoy but depend on his company. He always knew what to say to make her smile. Respected her enough to disagree with her. Treated her with kindness. Over the years she had known him he had become more open and compassionate. In fact, now she couldn't imagine her world without him.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?" She stared deep into his green eyes.

"Yes" he said lowering his head. "Damn it I know it breaks every rule but yes I love you. If I don't see your smile the day just feels darker. Everything I have become you have brought out in me. I can't hide it any longer. I truly love you, Elsa."

He seemed to grimace in pain and put his hand on his chest. "And no matter what happens next it's not your fault."

The heartbeat Elsa sensed seemed to struggle almost as if it was melting and breaking. Then it dawned on her. The ice she had put in his heart years ago was still there and holding it together. But n act of true love thaws a frozen heart. The same thing that had saved Anna was killing him.

Now the pieces started coming together for Elsa. Why he would suddenly keep his distance. Why he pulled back from kissing her. It would mean his end.

Then she remembered the note Pabbie had sent back with him.

You hold his heart in your hands.

Now it made sense. She had fixed his heart before. She could do it again. Holding the barrier had seemed like it opened new possibilities with her powers. Now was the time to prove it.

She gently took his hand. "It's ok Erik. I love you too."

While romance had been something foreign and even frightening to her in the past. She now felt she knew exactly what she had to do.

She leaned forward and kissed him softly. She placed her hand on his chest and sent a small blast of magic into his heart. Using their personal connection, she refroze the felting ice and sealed it. Using her newfound abilities to permanently seal the damage to his heart.

Erik shuddered and gasped as he broke the kiss as the cold sensation entered his chest. He sat there gasping for a bit and Elsa smiled still holding his hand.

"You don't get to die on me yet Erik. We have a lot to talk about."

End chapter 67

So nothing much happened in this chapter. But hope you enjoyed anyway.

By the way your welcome. Erik and Elsa admitting their feeling for each other originally wasn't going to happen till much later. But I decided to alter some things.

Chapter 68 is already underway with 2-3k words down. Hopefully I can crank these out sooner. Overtime is still very much a thing. But my travel schedule has slowed down for the time being. I road tripped through much of the western United States this past summer. Who knows maybe I drove by you at some point.

So far no news on a live action Frozen. Thankfully. Cause chances are it's gonna suck.

On a housekeeping note, I'm looking for some editors. My main editor is very busy so I need some people to volunteer to edit some older chapters. Some of them will include new content so you can leave some input as well but mostly to improve spelling and grammar. Send me a PM if interested.

Anyways hope you enjoyed and now it's time for me to start the celebration of a little holiday I call

CHRISTMAS!